


bring me back

by teddylupln



Category: Hook (1991), Once Upon a Time (TV), Peter Pan & Related Fandoms
Genre: M/M, felix hates peter but loves the piper, felix is black bird, peter is obviously the piper lol, pls read this lol thanks, superhero au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-12 12:13:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15339651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teddylupln/pseuds/teddylupln
Summary: Black Bird and the Piper patrol the city at night, keeping people safe from others with superpowers. The most important rule of being a superhero is to keep your identity a secret, even from one another, but the Piper can't help but wonder.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk how this came into my head ,, neverland just keeps coming back to me at random times and I can't stop writing abt it so!  
> this is gonna b my longest fic now so that's fun
> 
> I actually do remember that I got this idea while watching miraculous ladybug which is rly funny to me lol but
> 
> MAJOR shoutout to [crepefruit](http://archiveofourown.org/users/crepefruit) for helping me so much with this!! I never would have come even close to finishing it without u <3
> 
> I have this mostly written already (at least roughly) so I should be able to update this pretty regularly! and this is the shortest chapter for sure so get ready for more content I guess??? if anyone's actually reading this lol
> 
> hopefully this can satisfy anyone like me who wants neverland content that isn't there :') enjoy!1!!

Peter flies across the city. It’s not as though he’s actually flying, of course; he’s using a type of wire sling to swing between buildings. It reminds him of a grappling hook or Spiderman’s webs. Actually, Peter shares a quite a few things with Spiderman. He’s got the same name of course, along with their shared hobby of soaring around cities looking for Bad Guys. But Peter Parker probably has only pure motivations. And, thankfully, Peter’s outfit is a cloak and a small masquerade mask instead of a skintight suit covering his entire body.

 

Looking behind him, Peter can see Black Bird _literally_ flying. Peter grins and flings his wire as far away as possible, challenging Black Bird to catch him. Of course, Peter’s swinging has nothing on actual flying, so he’s caught in an instant and then surpassed entirely.

 

“Hey,” Black Bird says when Peter catches up to him, on top of a building. It might be the library, but he can’t be sure. “Couldn’t catch me?” Bird smirks a little, and Peter can’t tell if he’s mildly frustrated, mildly in love, or a bit of both.

 

“Just wait until next time, bird boy.”

 

Bird gives Peter a half mocking, half amused smile. “The park?”

 

Peter nods. He saw it on the news. The park is filled with statues. Of hundreds of people. That weren’t there the day before. Peter has a hunch they probably aren’t actually just statues.

 

“Let’s go,” Peter says.

 

With that, Bird walks to the edge of the building before calmly stepping off. An instant later, he flies back up, over the roof, using his arms to steady himself in the air.

 

Peter takes in a quick breath before running to the edge himself and flinging his wire towards another building.

 

Before they get far, though, an angry groan rumbles through the air. Peter drops harshly to the ground, whipping the wire back into his hand and looking around for the cause of the noise, which he can only assume is the same cause of the statues in the park. Shortly after, Bird lands softly beside him.

 

They stand there a moment, listening. There’s a dull banging coming from the way they’d been headed, and Peter gestures for Bird to follow him. Carefully, they step towards the noise. Peter pulls out his pipes; Bird pulls out a knife.

 

Peter brings the pipes to his lips, taking another step forward as Bird covers him from behind. As soon as he blows out the first note, the nearby noise stops; the music of Peter’s pipes renders its listeners useless.

 

Though Peter doesn’t want it to, the music takes an unavoidable effect on Bird too. Luckily, they’ve worked around it before, and Peter, still playing, turns just slightly to squeeze Bird’s shoulder. It’s harsh but not painful and accomplishes just what they need. Bird snaps out of it, his eyes clearing up as he comes out of the daze, and gives Peter a nod.

 

Peter remembers the first time they’d teamed up. He was so used to working alone that he forgot the pipes would affect _everyone_ around him, even those he didn’t want to impair. They were both almost killed because Peter had to stop playing to take out the villain in Bird’s place. When Bird snapped out of it, he was able to help and, luckily, they avoided much damage.

 

Now, though, they’ve got it down to a science. Peter plays the pipes, makes sure Bird isn’t stuck in the trance, and keeps the villain distracted. Then, it’s usually as simple as Bird slitting the villain’s throat, so long as there isn’t anyone else around. Today, that seems to be the case. Peter might even be home before midnight if he can’t come up with a way to prolong the night.

 

He almost wants to stop playing and join in on the fight, but he knows Bird might not appreciate it. And, besides, he can probably convince Bird to hang around with him before going their separate ways. So Peter continues the enchanting tune and soon the deed is done.

 

An hour later, Peter’s still not home, to his great relief. He sits on the edge of a skyscraper’s roof beside Bird, who watches in amusement as Peter tosses M&Ms up into the air, trying to catch them in his mouth. He'd forgotten they were in one of his "Piper" outfit's pockets. They sit there in silence for the most part until one of Peter’s tosses goes rogue and drops to the ground far below. Peter watches it until it disappears.

 

“Damn it,” he says, not really caring but wanting to fill the silence. He rolls his head to the side to look at Bird. “So…”

 

Bird, who’d been leaning back on his hands, leans forward. “So?”

 

“I’ve got a question for you,” Peter declares. He tosses another M&M into his mouth. “What are you like? You know, when you’re not wearing that feathery mask.”

 

“That… is a very broad question.” His voice is unwavering yet cautious.

 

“C’mon,” Peter says. “Humor me.”

 

“I’m the same as I am now.” The other boy leans back onto his hands once again.

 

"Hm." Peter hums lightly and tosses an M&M Bird’s way without warning. Bird catches it, though only in his hand, and drops it into his mouth.

 

“I do wonder, though,” Peter says slowly. “If we know each other...”

 

They sit for a while longer together, waiting as long as possible until their inevitable departure.

 

* * *

 

 _What an asshole_ , Felix thinks. _How fucking entitled can he get?_

 

If Felix has to hear Peter “I am the sun that everything else revolves around” Pan brag to his friends about getting out of the English final one more time, he’s going to lose his mind.

 

News flash: It doesn’t count as getting away with it if _everyone_ knows what happened. Even Felix, who has virtually no contact with the guy, knows that Peter added a perfect test with his name on it into the teacher’s pile of graded ones last night. His girlfriend’s dad is the teacher, so of course it couldn’t have been hard for him to figure that brilliant plan out. Felix is willing to bet that the teacher had even heard the rumors about it but, of course, every adult in this building is so far up Peter’s ass that there’s no way they would genuinely question him. It’s ridiculous, really. Felix can't understand what the fun in it would be if you’re so privileged that you’ll get away with _anything_ so easily, if you’re that _untouchable_. 

 

He’s snapped out of his bitter thoughts when Rufio laughs so hard that spit flies out of his mouth and across the table. Felix grimaces as he wipes it off his cheek with the sleeve of his jacket.

 

“Oops…” Rufio says awkwardly. “Sorry...”

 

“Keep it together,” Ace says, elbowing Rufio’s side. “It isn’t _that_ funny.”

 

Now Rufio’s laughing again just from remembering whatever it was that set him off in the first place. And Felix knows he’s probably trying to re-explain the joke, but he’s laughing so much that it’s completely indecipherable, and Felix is only half paying attention in the first place.

 

Until he hears Rufio excitedly say “Did you see the footage of Black Bird and the Piper last night?”

 

“Oh my god,” Seb groans. “Not this again.”

 

But it’s already too late. Rufio’s scrambling to get his phone out of his backpack.

 

“Shut up,” Rufio says, only half serious. “This is important!”

 

Felix rolls his eyes. He’s heard _far_ too much about Rufio’s obsession with the superheroes. It’s not always pleasant to hear your best friend gush about you, even if he doesn't know it's you, but he can’t exactly stop it either. Felix’s after-school routine has to remain a complete secret. If his dad taught him anything before he died, it’s that.

 

“I wonder if I could get Black Bird to do an interview for my blog sometime…” Rufio says absently as he scrolls through his phone. “Oh, here!” He turns the phone so that everyone can see it, though barely anyone watches besides Felix. 

 

Rufio grins as the Felix in the Bird costume onscreen flies over whoever was filming, the Piper not far behind. It’s actually a pretty terrible video in terms of quality, but when Felix looks back at his friend, he’s smiling excitedly from ear to ear.

 

“See! Cool, right?” He puts his phone in his pocket. “I wish _I_ could see them in person. Or, better yet, meet them.”

 

Felix shrugs with one shoulder. “They’re probably not that interesting in real life… Maybe it’s better to leave them as a mystery.”

 

First, Rufio’s face contorts into one of complete horror and betrayal. After a moment, though, he sits back in his seat and gets a thoughtful look on his face.

 

“You think they’re just _normal people_?” Rufio’s face slowly lights up. “I wonder if they’re our age... They could even be in school with us… It’s possible, right?”

 

Felix swallows, and his mouth feels dry. “I guess so.” He’s nonchalant, seeming as impartial as always on the subject. He really has to stop giving Rufio these ideas.

 

“It could be anyone!” Rufio scans the room, squinting suspiciously.

 

“Guess we’ll never know,” Felix says, hoping to bring the discussion to an end.

 

“Felix! You can’t give up that easily!” Rufio stands with his tray. “I’m sure I’ll figure it out eventually.”

 

After Rufio leaves to put away his tray, Felix waits a second, taking a deep breath and letting it out in a huff, before following him.

 

Luckily, Rufio seems to forget about their conversation at lunch by the end of the day, because he doesn’t mention it again. After school, he invites Felix to go with a few others to hang out, but, as always, Felix makes up an excuse. Sure, he’d like to go, but the city needs him. (Or maybe he just wants to see the Piper. But… the city _probably_ needs him.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello if someone's actually reading this lmao  
> I hope u enjoyed that & if u did and want to leave a comment,,, it would make my day esp considering I assume that there will b approximately 0 feedback on this bc of the lack of popularity lol ! skdjfs rip anyways ,,  
> see u soon with chapter two!1!!! ok that is all,,, bye! :^)


	2. Chapter 2

That night, after Felix picks at his dinner, his anticipation too high to eat much (as is common lately), he rushes through getting his suit on and flies out the window, just barely hearing his grandmother call after him. (“Be home by midnight! You need your rest!”)

 

He finds the Piper just where he expects to, on the roof where they normally meet. The Piper sits on the edge, like always, one leg dangling over, the other bent in front of him. Felix joins him.

 

“Welcome, welcome.”

 

Felix smiles mildly in lieu of a response.

 

“How was your day at school, sweetie?” The Piper says sarcastically, the perfect mockery of a doting mother, something neither of them had ever had, and turns his body sideways, propping his chin up on his knee. He’s millimeters from falling. He looks up at Felix.

 

Felix half-heartedly snorts and shakes his head. They have a mutual agreement that small talk is both off limits and boring.

 

“Well,” The Piper gets up. “Let’s get something to eat. And I’ve got another question. For later.”

 

“Do you want a lift?”

 

“A man after my own heart.” The Piper’s grin grows. “You know I do.”

 

They’ve only done it a few times, primarily because it hadn’t occurred to them until only weeks ago. But lately, when they’re not at risk, the Piper holds onto Felix, and they fly together. 

 

It was awkward at first, and their original attempt ended with the Piper almost slipping from Felix’s arms before they realized that Felix couldn’t very well hold onto the Piper while also controlling their flight. Although Felix doesn’t necessarily  _ have _ to use his arms to fly, they help with the balance. Eventually, they found that the most logical option is for the Piper to get on Felix’s back before he takes off and keep a grip on his shoulders.

 

So, they soar. 

 

Felix heads for a street that has endless possibilities for food, everything from breakfast to dessert. Whatever the Piper’s in the mood for, they can have. Felix knows he could choose somewhere too, but he doesn’t have a preference, and the Piper always has a plan.

 

It happens the way it usually always does: the Piper chooses a place (tonight, it’s ice cream), plays his pipes, and Felix takes whatever they want. Sure, it’s technically illegal, but, really, they’re not hurting anyone. They never take too much, and they simply consider it the city’s way of paying them for all that they do. And besides, the Piper never fails to say thank you. Felix realizes that the store owners can probably tell who’s stealing from them, if they think about it long enough, but they don't care enough to try to do anything about it. They’d probably rather not be on the bad side of the beloved superheroes.

 

As soon as Felix has two ice cream bars, he and the Piper back out of the store, hypnotizing music still playing. When the Piper finishes, Felix kneels in front of him, letting him wrap his arms around his shoulders and neck once again, and flies away.

 

The flight doesn't take long, and before he knows it, they're back over the roof. Felix lands carefully, letting the Piper get off.

 

“Okay, so,” Felix says, handing the Piper his ice cream bar. “What’s your question?”

 

One side of the Piper's mouth inches upwards, almost smiling as he opens the wrapper and crumples it into a ball. “Maybe you should ask me one for a change.”

 

Felix simply stares. He can never seem to completely figure out the Piper, and he’s not sure he wants to. Maybe he prefers to keep the Piper unpredictable.

 

“Oh, come on,” the Piper insists. “What do you want to know? You must be curious.”

 

“Unlike you,” Felix says slowly. “I don’t want you to tell me who you are.”

 

The Piper scoffs. “I certainly don’t want you to  _ tell me _ who you are, either.” He sits down, gesturing for Felix to join him, so Felix does. “I want to  _ know _ you, Bird. I don’t want you to tell me your real name, I want to know you enough that I can figure it out for myself… It’s like a game. You telling me would be cheating."

 

Felix takes a bite of his ice cream bar and nods slowly. 

 

“So…” The Piper waves his hand across the air, waiting for an answer. “Humor me.”

 

Felix smiles slightly. “If you insist…” He hums a moment, thinking. No simple or easy question will do the trick; it would only let the Piper down. “What’s something no one else knows about you?”

 

“How dramatic,” the Piper says, a teasing lilt to his voice. “Something no one else knows, hm? Well, this may shock you, but no one knows that… I’m actually the Piper.” He raises his eyebrows, smiling as wide as ever. 

 

“Clever.” Felix draws the word out. 

 

“ _But,_ I’ll give you another little secret.” He leans closer to Felix conspiratorially, and Felix’s heart beats faster.

 

“These pipes?” He holds them up. “Quite ironic, actually. An inside joke between me and the universe.”

 

Felix doesn’t know what to make of that, but he can’t ponder it for long before the Piper speaks again.

 

“I wonder if you could build up an immunity of some kind…” He leans back, a respectable distance from Felix once again. “To the pipes that is.”

 

And because Felix isn’t one to back down from a challenge: “Then try it.”

 

The Piper’s eyes seem to light up at that, and Felix can’t help but be pleased with the small sign of approval. He raises the pipes and gives Felix a questioning look. Felix nods.

 

As the first note drifts from the pipes to Felix’s ears, he breathes in and out, paying attention to nothing but the rising and falling of his chest and the Piper’s eyes, which stare intently back at him. As the song really gets to him, he can still see the Piper playing, but his eyes go in and out of focus. He feels himself zoning out, his breathing slowing, and his eyes drooping ever so slightly. His mind goes blank, and then all he can think of is the music. It’s intoxicating and horrible and wonderful.

 

The Piper brings him back to reality with a hard squeeze on his shoulder. He’s sitting directly in front of Felix now, and Felix hadn’t even noticed him moving in his distraction. 

 

“Can’t do it?” The Piper asks.

 

And Felix feels like it's a test. Which is ridiculous because who is he to be able to withstand this power, this magic? But he won’t just let the Piper down that easily.

 

“Try again,” Felix sits forward.

 

“If you insist.”

 

This time, Felix tries to anticipate the music instead of ignoring it. He taps a finger against his leg steadily, just focusing on keeping it going. But, once again, he loses concentration after a few moments longer, and the tapping stops.

 

“Better.” The Piper brings the pipes down. He tilts his head to one side, thinking. “Close your eyes.” So Felix does.

 

A moment later, Felix feels the tips of the Piper’s knees just barely touching his, feather-light.

 

“Don’t think about the music; think about the world around you. If you get caught up in the song, just think about me. I’m the one playing it. Remember where it comes,” the Piper says, and Felix doesn’t question it. “Try not to let the pipes make you forget what’s right in front of you.”

 

It sounds simple enough. Felix nods.

 

This time, when the Piper begins playing, Felix can sense him leaning forward, enough that he can feel the breath blowing over the top of the pipes. Felix thinks about the Piper and tries to picture him in his head, to remember that he must be inches from his face. 

 

Slowly, he can feel himself fading. His mind grows drowsy, and he can’t remember what’s going on. He tries to grasp for the thoughts, but they don’t come. And then he feels the Piper’s knee shift ever so slightly against his, and he can just barely gain a semblance of thought; it’s enough for him to blink his eyes slowly open. The Piper is, as Felix expected, only inches away, staring at Felix intently. He lets the notes fade away.

 

“It only works when you touch me,” Felix says. “It brings me back.”

 

“So you’re telling me you want me to touch you?” The Piper raises an eyebrow.

 

“I never said I wanted it, just that it’s the only way.”

 

“Well, you know I love a challenge. But we already knew about the touch. So this didn’t help us at all.” He lets out a frustrated breath.

 

Felix keeps his gaze steady. “Not exactly. Before it was harsh touches, but this time, I barely felt you.”

 

“You’re right. So that’s all it takes…” The Piper looks hopeful once again as he leans back and brings the pipes to his lips, almost playing before dropping them to speak. “It isn’t simply anything, though, or a gust of wind could snap you out of it.”

 

“It has to be you.”

 

“Hm.” The Piper’s clearly in a train of thought. He observes Felix carefully. “We’ll figure something out.”

 

“Yes,” Felix agrees. “We will.”

 

They spend a few seconds just sitting. The Piper looks up to the stars, and Felix continues to look at him.

 

“I almost forgot about my question.” The Piper puts his pipes back into his cloak and looks back to Felix. “Why do you do this?”

 

“Do… what, exactly?”

 

“Oh, you know, the whole…  ‘superhero’ thing. Why not be a ‘villain’?” He puts air-quotes around the words.

 

Felix has thought about this before. “The villains are careless. They rarely get what they want.”

 

Peter makes a noise in agreement. “You’re right. They don’t have any aim, do they?”

 

Felix nods shortly. It’s also about his dad, but there’s no need to get into that with the Piper tonight.

 

Soon after, Felix leaves the Piper lying on the roof and flies home. He’s late; it’s almost 2 in the morning. Even though he tries to enter his window quietly, his grandma never fails to hear him. Aren’t old people supposed to have bad hearing? And shouldn’t she be sleeping by now, anyway? But these thoughts can’t save him.

 

“Felix?” He hears her yell from downstairs and curses to himself. He almost scrambles to change into normal clothes before realizing that there’s no way she won’t know where he’s been. 

 

His grandma barges into his room, and the inquisition begins.

 

“Why are you so late? Are you okay? What happened?” As his father’s mother, she’s always known all about his nightly routine.

 

“Nothing. I’m fine. I lost track of time.” Now that the magic of the night is wearing off, Felix realizes how tired he is as he yawns. “Goodnight.”

 

“Now hold on just a second, young man.”  _ Oh, god. Here we go _ , Felix thinks.

 

“Maybe you should consider… taking some nights off.” She’s tentative. “You and the Piper could take turns?”

 

He scoffs.

 

“I know you want to make your father proud, follow in his footsteps and all, but you need to take care of yourself too.” She’s more stern now.

 

“It’s not about making him proud,” Felix snaps. A breath. Then, calmer: “Sorry, I’m just tired.”

 

His grandma lets out a short huff and crosses her arms. “And that is  _ exactly _ the problem. Don’t you think you need your sleep?”

 

“Not if it means splitting up. That defeats the whole _ purpose. _ ”

 

“Enlighten me: What is the purpose? Because I was under the impression that it was to  _ help  _ people, not to mess around with the Piper.”

 

Felix rubs a hand over his eyes, struggling to keep them open now. “It is… It’s just… We’re a team.”

 

She stares him down, clearly not sold, so he gives her a hug, which always seems to make her let down her guard.

 

“I’ll be home on time from now on,” Felix says. “Promise.”

 

And this time, when he makes a move to close the door, she backs out of the room and lets him. “Alright. Just remember us here in the real world too, okay?”

 

“Okay.” He closes the door.

 

* * *

 

Peter could  _ really  _ do without this, today of all days. Last night, he’d been out with Bird late and then stayed out for an hour on top of that by himself. He’s so tired that in Chemistry, when the teacher tells him to pay attention and put away his phone, he actually  _ does  _ it. He doesn’t even want to fight back. And on top of that, now he has to deal with  _ this. _

 

It’s silly, really, and Peter frankly can’t even believe he’s having to sort this out. But Wendy Darling’s opinion matters in this town and in this school, and if he doesn’t have her (and her family’s) support, he doesn’t have enough. The Pans’ influence and his own confidence are certainly strong, especially with his adoptive mother's relatively new role as mayor. But the Darlings practically rule academics in the city, with Mrs. Darling being a powerful member of the school board and Mr. Darling being the head of the English department. And Peter needs Wendy Darling to continue weaving her nice stories about him, telling them how wonderful he is. He needs the Darlings to love him, and if Wendy Darling doesn’t love him, neither will they. 

 

So when Wendy stomps towards a lunch table far from their normal one, Peter turns to the others at the table with him.

 

“What’s wrong with her?”

 

They shrug awkwardly, looking at one another. 

 

Peter groans and stands. “Useless. All of you.” He takes his tray and walks to the table Wendy’s now sitting at, looking far less angry than he’s feeling. He takes the only open seat, at the end of the table. She’s sitting between the boy across from Peter and a girl Peter does not particularly like, Lily, who’s now glaring at Peter. Peter smiles back at her.

 

“Wendy, darling,” or “Wendy Darling,” he says calmly (it’s impossible to tell). “What’s wrong?”

 

Wendy looks close to tears, which can’t be a good sign.

 

“You,” she says softly.

 

At this point, everyone at the table is watching with interest.

 

“Oh, come on.” Peter reaches for her hand, because that usually seems to work, but she crosses her arms. “What have I done?”

 

Lily steps in, forever glaring. “You know what you've done. You really ought to be ashamed of yourself.”

 

Peter almost laughs at the anger in her voice, but covers it with a cough. The situation is delicate enough as it is. He wonders  _ which _ thing he's done that she’s heard about, but whatever it is obviously isn’t flattering.

 

“I really don’t know what you mean,” he says, sounding sincere.

 

Wendy shakes her head, looking down at her lap, clearly wanting him to leave. But Peter Pan does not give up easily.

 

“Wendy…” His voice is quiet. “Look at me, darling. Please.”

 

And she does. (Of course she does.)

 

“Whatever you’ve heard, I'm sure it’s not true.” He’s staring at her softly, and he can see Wendy’s demeanor wavering.

 

“But Nick said that you think I’m…” She looks close to tears again, and it takes everything in Peter not to roll his eyes. “A nag.”

 

Peter frowns. Nick and him are going to have to have a talk about this later. He must’ve been drunk when he said it, because he knows better than to let something like that slip to someone as mindless as Nick. “Nick’s a dumbass, Wendy. He once told me he saw a fairy flying around in his room. You really believe anything he says?”

 

“He also said you cheated on my dad’s final.” She crosses his arms again, and Peter realizes that this is where it might get tricky.

 

Peter shakes his head in what he knows looks like disbelief. “Come on, Wends, would I do that? You  _ know _ me. I love your dad’s class; there’s no reason for me to cheat.”

 

Wendy looks a bit uncertain then, unsure of herself, and Peter knows he’s won.

 

“I love you, Wendy.” They’re technically not _ together  _ right now, not that many people would realize since not much changes. And Peter knows it’s only a matter of time. They’re on-again and off-again so often that sometimes he’ll forget whether they’re together or not, but regardless, those words always get to her. But before he can continue… 

 

“Bullshit. Fuck off, Peter. Wendy knows you’re an asshole.” It’s Lily. God, does she ever stop? She never ceases getting on Peter’s nerves. Sure, he likes people with a sort of fire in them, who aren’t willing to just lie on their backs and let life do what it will with them, but he doesn’t appreciate it being directed at  _ him _ . Peter closes his eyes and lets out a frustrated breath. 

 

“Right, Wendy?” Lily asks. Wendy just barely nods, looking ashamed. Then, both girls leave, Lily pulling Wendy away by the hand.  _ Since when are they friends, anyway?  _ Peter thinks.

 

“Nothing to see here,” he grumbles at the others, who finally stop staring. He leans his head back in the chair, keeping his cool.

 

As he’s about to stand and leave, to go have a  _ talk _ with Nick, the boy across from him speaks up.

 

“She’s right.”

 

“Pardon?” Peter sits back up in his chair and staring across the table, daring the boy to continue.

 

“You’re an asshole.” Who even  _is_ this guy? Jesus, these emo kids are getting way too confident. It’s that fire again, the one that Peter almost admires, if it weren’t being used to insult him.

 

“Well.” Peter fake smiles. “Thank you, but no one asked.” 

 

The boy shrugs and takes a bite of his sandwich.

 

“Felix, dude, let’s just stay out of it,” another boy, the one next to Peter, says.

 

“I’m just saying.” The first boy, Felix, speaks slowly. “If you treat your girlfriend like that, you... are an asshole.”

 

“That’s where you’re wrong.” Peter pushes his tray forward, bumping it into Felix’s, and stands. “Not my girlfriend.”

 

He walks away, leaving his tray on the table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :^)) thanks 4 reading this lol hhhhlsfj if u wanna comment, I love them & they mean a lot so thank u in advance if u do!  
> im hoping to keep this updated like once a week btw


	3. Chapter 3

For the rest of the week, Wendy sits at their lunch table. So, Peter does too. Felix mostly ignores them from then on-- the drama on Tuesday was enough for him. But it’s awkward with both of them there, and Felix really doesn’t know what the goddamn point is, because if the point of coming here was to get away from Peter, then clearly that isn’t working, so why Wendy doesn’t go to a new table or back to her old one, Felix really does  _ not  _ understand. He makes sure to sit as far away from Lily and Wendy as possible, knowing Peter will do the opposite.

 

After a few days have gone by, Felix thinks that  _ maybe _ they’ll leave, seeing as he overheard Wendy talking about how she wants to forgive him because “everyone deserves a second chance.” A second, third, fourth, fifth chance. Yeah, what a saint. But Felix can’t complain, because getting rid of them is exactly what he wants. Even if Peter is very obviously manipulating that girl. She’s quite dumb not to see it, but it seems like practically everyone’s on board with following Peter’s every whim, so what does Felix know?

 

But on Friday, when he comes to lunch only to see Wendy Darling  _ crying _ at his lunch table, he decides  _ fuck _ this and leaves the room altogether. Felix rolls his eyes as he makes his way down the hallway. He doesn’t have anything for lunch, but he might have a granola bar in his backpack, so maybe he’ll eat that later. Or maybe he’ll just skip lunch today, but either is better than going back to that shit show.

 

Eventually, he settles on sitting cross-legged against a row of lockers as he waits for the bell to ring. He supposes he could’ve asked Rufio or someone to come with him, but it’s a bit late for that now, so he just leans his head back against a locker and closes his eyes. The last few nights, he and the Piper have barely had time to talk, with people to take down every night. And he’s been trying to get home sooner--  for his grandma-- but it’s hard. He’s still been getting home quite late.

 

So now, at the end of the week, he’s exhausted. He almost thinks he might be able to fall asleep on the floor here until he hears someone lean against the locker next to him.

 

His eyes snap open to see none other than Peter Pan. Speak of the devil. 

 

“Did you  _ follow  _ me?” Felix stares up in disbelief at the other boy, who looks frustratingly smug, as always. 

 

Peter shrugs and takes a seat against another row of lockers across from Felix.  _ So, that’s a yes _ , Felix thinks. 

 

“I wasn’t exactly welcomed at the table,” Peter says, taking off his backpack to rummage through it.

 

“And what makes you think you’re wanted here?” Felix deadpans.

 

Pulling out an apple, Peter raises an eyebrow at him. “You seemed lonely.” He takes a bite, watching Felix, waiting for a reply that he isn’t in the mood to give. 

 

Felix won’t give him the satisfaction of a comeback nor of leaving, so he puts in his headphones and tries to ignore Peter’s presence.

 

After only seconds, he feels a foot tapping steadily against his own. 

 

“What?” He pushes Peter’s foot away.

 

“Why don’t you like me?” Peter takes another bite of his apple.

 

Felix stares blankly back at him for a moment, exasperated, before tilting his head back and closing his eyes.

 

“C’mon.” Peter kicks him again. “Humor me.”

 

Felix opens his eyes. It’s not like he’s going to deny it. He clearly isn’t fond of Peter. 

 

“You’re aimless.” He says slowly, hoping maybe an answer will get Peter to leave. “You act out just because you can. There’s no reason to it.”

 

One side of Peter’s mouth lifts at that, and he shrugs. “So you think you’ve got more  _ aim _ ?”

 

“At least I pay for mistakes when I’m caught.” Felix thinks back to Peter’s lack of punishment at the whole test situation.

 

Peter looks at Felix like he’s a problem he’s trying to solve. After a long silence, he says, “Alright.”

 

Felix frowns. “ _ Alright _ ?”

 

“Oh,” Peter says. “So you  _ do  _ want to know what I think.” He pauses. Felix stares back blankly. “You’re looking at things from  _ your _ perspective. You need to think bigger.”

 

This self-righteousness is almost as bad as listening to Wendy cry. Felix leans back and shuts his eyes.

 

“Rude. But I know you’re still listening.” Felix hates that he’s right. “My  _ aim _ , Felix, is to avoid failure. But you have to think about it from  _ my _ perspective, like I told you. I may get away with everything, but that’s simply because I  _ know how to get what I want. _ I build it up. I didn’t come into school one day and have this… freedom. I had to earn it.”

 

Felix feels (and hears) Peter fall sideways into the locker next to him, now close enough that he’s just barely leaning against Felix’s shoulder and his knee. His chest fills with irritation, and his eyes snap open as he turns to glare at Peter. He opens his mouth to tell Peter to kindly fuck off, but as he opens his mouth, Peter holds a finger up to his lips.

 

“Think about it.” Peter’s voice is quiet and entrancing, and as much as Felix doesn’t want to listen, he is. “I have to push the envelope, see how far I can get, so I  _ know _ that I’m safe to do what I please.” Peter pushes himself away. Felix lets out a breath and opens his eyes in time to see Peter grabbing his backpack and getting up.

 

Felix spends the rest of the day thinking about it, and the more he does, the more he understands. It’s really sort of genius. If Peter builds up this immunity, he can, essentially, do whatever he wants. The more he gets away with now, the more he’s capable of in the future. And Felix becomes a bit fascinated with the idea, not that he would ever admit it. He’s relieved when he can finally stop thinking about it when he becomes Black Bird that night.

 

* * *

 

Peter paces back and forth along the roof, waiting for Bird. He wants to check his watch, but he doesn’t wear it with the Piper costume. 

 

Until  _ finally, _ Bird drops out of the sky.

 

“Took your sweet time, didn’t you?” Peter strides up to Bird, just far enough that he can still look up at him without awkwardly straining his neck. “I have something for you.”

 

Peter pulls out the feather. He’s quite proud of himself for this little project. He’d known that Bird couldn’t fight against his music on willpower alone, so he’d gotten a more magically-versed friend to help him out. The Tinker isn’t necessarily a hero, but she’s certainly not a villain, so she’d agreed to create this for the right price. And tonight, it’s finally finished.

 

“What is it?” Bird asks.

 

Peter reaches up, practically stepping on Bird’s toes, and pulls a lock of hair from where it’s been pulled back behind his mask. The mask covers most of Bird’s face, unlike Peter’s.

 

“We’re going to try the pipes again,” Peter says, carefully tying the feather into Bird’s hair. “I thought it might fit your aesthetic. And… I brought this for you too.” Peter pulls an apple from his cloak pocket and pushes it into Bird’s chest.

 

Bird takes the apple from him, but his head is tilted to one side, and he’s squinting slightly, confused.

 

“In case you were hungry.” Peter walks to the edge of the building and sits, inviting Bird to join him. He lets Bird finish the apple while he watches the horizon, where the sun is slowly disappearing. He swings his legs over the edge.

 

“So I was right,” Peter says. “You were hungry.”

 

“I didn’t have lunch.” Bird tosses the apple core off the roof. They watch it fall.

 

Peter tsks. “What, too busy making out in the halls to eat?”

 

Bird seems taken aback for an instant so small someone else might not have noticed at all. “Definitely not.”

 

“Why didn’t you eat, then?” And Peter wonders… 

 

“I… didn’t go to my table today. Guess I just forgot.” Bird turns to face Peter then, pulling his legs up to the ledge and crossing them between himself and Peter. “Pipes?”

 

Peter really does wonder... with the mention of Bird’s real life. What the chances were that they’d both left their table today. Bird certainly has the same fire as Felix, though Peter’s never had Bird be as adamantly against him. Who knows? It could be him. It might make sense. Peter would like to think that it is, because Felix would hate that, wouldn’t he? Peter smiles mildly to himself and nods at Bird again, searching his cloak for the pipes.

 

Bird, upon seeing the pipes, immediately brings himself closer to Peter, touching just barely, but Peter slides away. 

 

“Try it without,” he says. “The feather should help.”

 

Bird looks confused, but doesn’t question it, simply obeys. The haunting tune begins. For an instant, Peter thinks it won’t work. Bird seems to lean toward Peter unintentionally. But then it’s done, and Bird sits tall, looks around, and smiles.

 

“It worked.” Bird says, impressed.

 

Peter puts the pipes away and leans towards Bird, letting their legs just barely touch again. “Of course,” he says, almost a whisper. And then he’s gone from Bird’s space, standing and brushing himself off.

 

“Shall we?” He gestures to the world below.

 

Bird nods, and Peter puts out a hand to help him up, squeezing a little harder than he has to.

 

Soon, they’re halfway across the city, looking for trouble. And it doesn’t take long to find some. They’ve made it a point not to get involved in things that aren’t any of their business. If they see a fair fight or even a harmless crime, they rarely do anything about it. The times they step in are usually when people with powers use them against the innocent. Bird had really started it; Peter never would be doing this if he hadn’t happened to come across Bird one fateful night. Since then, they’d been partners.

 

Along the docks, almost everything looks normal. There are ships in the harbor, and the nearby beach is calm. But there’s one unavoidable problem: there’s a hole in the ocean. And above it all, Hook hovers, holding his arms out, seemingly creating the nonconformity. James Hook never fails to get on Peter’s nerves; the man just  _ won’t  _ give up . They’ve taken him down time and time again, yet here he is. But Peter isn’t one to turn down a chance to do so again. 

 

They drop to the ground, still covered from sight by some of the last buildings before the beach. The problem is clear.

 

“I can’t get out there,” Peter states. There aren’t any buildings to use his wire device with, and Bird won’t be able to fly well enough with Peter on his back  _ and _  manage to kill the guy, which is what Peter really hopes they can finally do tonight. And he looks too far out to hear the pipes from shore. “What do you think?”

 

Bird looks back out at the water and the man above it. Hook’s head is thrown back towards the sky. He barely looks aware of what he’s doing, let alone the world around him.

 

“I can do it.” Bird nods slightly, more to himself than to Peter.

 

For once, looking out at Hook, Peter’s not sure if this is right. They’ve always gone together, and although he knows Bird can handle himself, this is  _ Hook _ . They’ve never been able to completely take Hook down, even together. But he shakes that thought off. They’re superheroes, after all, and they can’t just allow Hook to do… whatever he’s up to right now, which looks to be growing larger by the second. So Peter gives Bird a quick nod of approval and claps him on the shoulder. His hand lingers for an instant longer than necessary.

 

And then Peter can only watch as Bird takes a few steps away before jumping into the air. Peter puts a hand in the pocket of his cloak, holding his pipes, more out of habit or comfort than anything else. He hates just standing here.

 

Bird flies swiftly towards Hook, and Peter sees him pull out his knife. Hook still seems distracted, almost in a trance, overcome with the power of whatever he’s doing. Peter smiles a bit; Bird has this in the bag. Bird’s flying in from behind Hook. This is almost too easy, like stealing candy from a baby. Peter ponders this for a moment, wondering if maybe it  _ is _ too easy, if there’s a catch. Why would Hook leave himself so vulnerable? And out in the open? It wasn’t like him. Not at all. 

 

Peter moves from his hiding place; he can’t just wait. He walks towards the sea, towards the docks. Maybe he can figure out what’s going on. The water looks normal near the beach, and only when he looks out further can he tell that something’s amiss. It’s as if it’s being sucked into the ground under Hook, swirling viciously and almost bubbling. One of the small boats on the dock is only tied up with a rope and still has oars in it, so Peter climbs in carefully; maybe he can get close enough to play his pipes, now that Bird can withstand it without his touch. To do _something_ to help.

 

As Peter unties the boat, he looks up to check on Bird, who’s only feet from Hook now, flying carefully closer. But just as Bird raises the knife, Hook raises his own arm. In an instant, the man twirls around in the air, slashing his hook down. 

 

In another instant, Bird collapses into himself and falls from the sky, and Peter doesn’t think, just shoves away from the dock. And now he doesn’t think about what Hook’s doing, he could destroy the whole city, the whole world for all Peter cares. 

 

He’s watching as Bird’s body hits the waves with nothing more than a splash. Peter wishes more than ever that he could do more than play his pipes, something that could help him now. But he doesn’t have that power. So he paddles hard, and when he thinks he’s close to where Bird fell, he dives. Down into the angry ocean. It pulls him towards the edges of the giant hole, and Peter lets it, not quite praying, but coming closer than he ever has. The only higher power he believes in is his own will, though, so he swims harder, pushing himself down, deeper and deeper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol this is late sorry idk if anyone cares but
> 
> leave a comment if u want it would make me v happy :') thanks 4 reading this mess lol stay tuned for more


	4. Chapter 4

Felix wakes slowly, still in a state of half-asleep that leaves his mind groggy and slow. Before his eyes are even fluttering open, he feels his legs. And his arms. And what seems to be every  _ inch _ of his body. It’s all in pain. Not just aching, dull pain, either. This pain hasn’t had the chance to fade. Felix winces, but even that hurts; it feels like his whole face has been cut open. He thinks this before he realizes that maybe it  _ has _ . It comes back to him slowly: being struck, falling into the sea.

 

Before he can worry too much about that, however, he realizes that he has no clue where he is, because he certainly isn’t at the bottom of the ocean, and he hasn't just been dragged back to the street either. If he wasn’t in such intense pain, he’d probably be more comfortable than ever. He’s in a bed, with soft sheets and a comforter over him.

 

He opens his eyes only to realize that he’s still wearing his mask. He can tell there’s some blood dried between it and his skin. 

 

Above him, a white canopy is draped around the bed (which is about four times the size of Felix’s bed at home). As he sits up, he notices that the room is practically spotless. Only a desk sits in a corner. The desk is certainly not spotless, with books and pencils and a laptop scattered across it. Other than that, though, the room looks like a guest room, not one that someone’s actually living in.

 

Felix looks down; there’s blood on the white sheets, which must’ve soaked through his mask, but it seems like most of it had come off in the water. He wants to rip off the mask, but seeing as he has no idea where he is, he doesn’t think that’s such a good idea. He can only assume the Piper has taken him somewhere safe, because if Hook had gotten to him, he doesn’t think he’d be alive and dozing on a soft bed.

 

As he’s about to move to stand, the door swings open. For an instant, Felix almost can’t tell who it is, because he’s expecting the elaborate cloak of the Piper. But even though he’s wearing an oversized hoodie, the hood pulled up and his mask still over his eyes, he’s still the Piper. He’s not even wearing shoes. It’s so weirdly  _ domestic _ that if Felix didn’t have mostly-dried blood covering his face, he might find it funny.

 

“Had enough beauty sleep?” The Piper says upon seeing Felix awake. 

 

Felix slides back to lean against the headboard, sitting up further. “If blood dripping down my face counts as beauty.”

 

The Piper shrugs and sits on the end of the bed, facing Felix, and crosses his legs. “If that’s what you’re into, I suppose.”

 

Felix begins to let a small smile creep onto his face, but flinches before it’s fully formed. His entire face still feels like it’s buzzing with the aftermath of a cut. The Piper practically jumps back up. 

 

“Let’s get that cleaned up,” he says. “You can go alone; I won’t see who you are. I’ve put out the first aid kit in the bathroom for you.”

 

Felix nods. “How long have I been out?”

 

“It’s almost morning.”

 

So, at least a few hours. Felix doesn’t know if he should be pleased or offended that the Piper didn’t take off his mask to see the damage in all that time. But, the Piper’s judgement was obviously right in the end, because Felix is awake now, identity still hidden.

 

The Piper leads Felix down the hall to the bathroom in comfortable silence. Felix saves questions for later. It’s oddly silent, as if the entire house is empty except for the two of them.

 

When the Piper finally closes the door and leaves Felix alone, he carefully pulls off his mask. The first thing he notices is that the cut isn’t going to be easy to hide. He’ll definitely have to tell his grandma what happened, but at least maybe it’ll make her appreciate having the Piper accompany him. If he'd been alone, he'd be dead. The cut on his face runs from between his eyebrows across his nose to the right side of his face. Before he can assess the damage further, though, he has to clean it off. Luckily, it looks like blood has stopped running from the wound, but there’s still some of that red welled up right on the cut, which comes away when Felix brings a wet towel up to it. He wipes away all of the dried blood carefully, not wanting to rip it open completely again. He can tell the rest of his body has been hurt too, either by the initial strike or by hitting the water, but he decides that he'll worry about that later.

 

After cleaning off to the best of his ability (he knows his grandma will help him do a better job of it later), he feels a bit better, even though his face definitely stings even more than before. He tries to clean off his mask, which only somewhat works, and puts it back on before walking back to the first room. 

 

The Piper is back on the edge of the bed, his hands knitted together as he leans over them. To someone who doesn’t know him, it might look like he’s praying. But Felix knows better; he’s just deep in thought. Still, it’s off-putting to see him look so uncertain.

 

“Thank you,” Felix says, and the Piper looks up. For once, he doesn’t start on a topic, so Felix does. “Is this your house?”

 

The Piper nods. “I would offer you the full tour, but under the circumstances…” Felix understands; he wouldn’t want to show the Piper his home either. The Piper sighs. “Though it wouldn’t matter now.”

 

Felix sits down at the desk chair, spinning it to face the Piper.

 

“What does that mean?” Felix asks.

 

“This was the only place I could bring you,” the Piper says. “But it’s not exactly… unrecognizable.” He pauses. “When you leave, you’ll probably know who I am.”

 

Silence hangs in the air for a long minute. As much as Felix is curious who the Piper is, he knows that keeping your identity a secret as a superhero is one of the only rules of his father’s that he still follows. 

 

“You could lead me away before I look,” Felix suggests. 

 

The Piper shakes his head once. “It’s no use. I won’t tell you what to do; you can look if you want. It’s up to you.”

 

Felix thinks for a moment longer before nodding. He doesn’t know how he could discern the Piper’s identity from a simple house, anyways. “Okay.” He turns his head to look through the window, where the sun is just starting to rise. “I should go.” His grandma must be beside herself with worry by now. 

 

He stands and walks to the window. “See you tonight?”

 

“I hope so,” the Piper says before flopping backwards, lying down on the bed.

 

Felix walks to the balcony window and jumps out. He falls for an instant, and then he flies, higher and higher. And when he finally looks down, because he can't help his curiosity, he's looking at the  mayor’s house . It’s the largest one in town, with three stories. As a kid, Felix thought it looked like a castle. It’s also home to the Pan family.

 

Well, he finally understands the irony over the Piper’s pipes. Or, Felix guesses, his pan flute.

 

He also realizes (hours later in the midst of his crisis because the Piper is _ Peter _ ) that he’ll be revealing his own identity on Monday to the Piper. It would be impossible to miss the cut running down his face.

 

\--

 

Peter taps his pencil against the desk impatiently, willing the ticking seconds to pass by faster. Each hour of the day seems to go slower. But at last, the bell rings, letting him escape from fourth hour physics into the halls. He marches through the halls with purpose, shoving a few freshmen out of his way as he goes, towards the lunch room.

 

Luckily, he doesn’t have to wait any longer. Rufio must have an open period fourth hour, because he’s already sitting at a table, writing something in a notebook. 

 

“Rufio!” Peter barks from across the room. Half of the inhabitants turn to look.

 

Rufio’s eyes widen as he turns to see Peter storming towards him. “Peter? Dude…” Rufio looks him up and down. “You look like shit.”

 

Peter practically growls at that; he hasn’t slept in two days. Just because he’s just wearing a t-shirt and didn’t do his hair this morning doesn’t mean he’s in the mood for someone who wears My Chemical Romance T-shirts every day of the week to tell _him_ how  _ he  _ looks. 

 

“I need to talk with you.” Peter grabs Rufio’s backpack from the floor. 

 

Rufio barely has time to pick up his notebook and scramble out of his seat before Peter’s walking away, towards the exit.

 

“Hey, hey, hold up,” Rufio says in a rush. “What’s going on?”

 

“Do you know where Felix lives?” They’re at the front entrance now, and seniors are allowed off campus for lunch, so no one stops Peter as he pushes the doors open.

 

Rufio tries to grab his bag, but Peter pulls it away from him. “Do you or do you not?” Peter asks again, growing impatient.

 

“I’m not going to let you know where he lives just so you can kill him or stalk him or whatever you’re trying to do here.”

 

Peter scoffs, unlocks his car, throws Rufio’s bag in the passenger seat, and climbs into the driver’s side. “Have you seen him this weekend?”

 

Rufio stands there with his arms crossed before he, clearly not happy about it, realizing he has little choice in the matter, climbs into the other side of the car. “No… He wasn’t answering my texts.” He puts his notebook into his bag. “But he just forgets sometimes.”

 

“Let’s pay him a visit, then.” Peter tries for a smile, but judging by Rufio’s scared expression, it just reads as threatening.

 

“I don’t think Felix would appreciate that, man,” Rufio says carefully. “I’ll bet he’s just sick.”

 

“He’s _not sick_. Just tell me where to go.” Peter feels his anger building.

 

Peter pulls out of the parking lot. They drive in silence, and Rufio tells Peter where to turn. Peter taps against the steering wheel, with less patience than ever. He waited on the roof Saturday night until the sun rose, then he repeated the process on Sunday. It’s all over the news: Black Bird knocked down by hooked villain; could this be the end of the hero? But it isn’t. Because the Piper saved him.  _ Peter  _ saved him. Yet, still, nothing from Bird. Peter can’t even be certain Felix  _ is _ Bird. It’s just a feeling, a gut feeling, he has, and it’s all he has to go off of, and he can’t keep  _ waiting _ , doing nothing. He’s not used to not getting what he wants. There’s always a way. So he has to see Felix. If he has the cut on his face, then Peter will know for sure. Now that Bird’s ignoring him, Peter doesn’t care much for the mystery of it all anymore. He just wants to see his partner again.

 

Eventually, Rufio tells Peter to park on the street. They’re in front of an apartment building, so this must be their destination.

 

“Are you going to tell me what this is about?” 

 

“None of your business.” Peter gets out and slams the door behind him. He walks towards the building.

 

“Actually,” Rufio does a little jog to catch up. “It sort of is. You’ve made me an accessory to the crime now.”

 

Peter rolls his eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic.”

 

Rufio scoffs. “Says you! Listen, I don’t want Felix to be mad at me and there’s no way he’s letting us up there without my sweet-talking, so you’re gonna want me on your side if you want to see him.”

 

“I just need to see him.” Peter crosses his arms.

 

“For?”

 

“We’ve had a disagreement.” Peter wouldn’t exactly call it that, but it’s not easy to explain the situation without  _ explaining _ the situation. 

 

“What, are you two friends now?” 

 

Peter snorts.

 

“...Lovers?”

 

The way Rufio says “lovers” is so ridiculous that he can’t help but let out a dry, short laugh. He and Bird certainly aren’t lovers, but they aren’t _simply_ friends either. He and Felix, on the other hand, aren’t friends at all. Not even close.

 

“So, what?” Rufio stands in front of the doorway, waiting for further explanation. “I’m not calling him until you tell me.”

 

“Stubborn little guy, aren’t you?” 

 

"We're the same height." Rufio crosses his arms, mirroring Peter, who only smiles mockingly.

 

“Alright, how about this?” He speaks as though to a child. “I can’t be certain, but I think Felix is angry with me. So I need to check and see. Okay?”

 

But Peter can see that Rufio clearly isn’t going to give in, so he lies. “We’re on a project together. For… history. He hasn’t been responding to me, either. I think he’s mad because I… insulted his part of the project.”

  
“Geez, asshole much?”

 

Peter’s lips come together in a thin line, and he closes his eyes for a moment too long in annoyance. At least Rufio seems to think it’s believable.

 

So, finally, Rufio relents, and he calls Felix.

 

“Hello?” Rufio starts after Felix picks up. “It’s Rufio.” A pause. “And, um, Peter. Can we come up?”

 

“Hello? You there?” Rufio asks. For a minute, Peter thinks that Felix has hung up. Rufio stands there for almost a full minute, grimacing at whatever Felix is saying.

 

Peter’s moves to step closer to Rufio, ready to snatch the phone from his hand, but the other boy holds up a hand to tell him to wait.

 

“Okay,” Rufio says into the phone. Then, he hangs up. “Just... stay here.”

 

Peter huffs. “No. We came here for _me_ to talk to him, in case you’ve forgotten.”

 

“Yes. But he’s pissed at me for bringing you. He barely wants _me_ to come up. So, I’ll go talk to him, see what’s going on, and then I’ll let you know if he’s upset with you or if he’s just sick or something.”

 

Peter crosses his arms, not wanting to give up but knowing he doesn’t have a better choice if he doesn’t want to break into Felix’s apartment. That’d only make Felix more mad at him, and right now, he could really do with more trust from Felix, not less of it.

 

Rufio raises his eyebrows, smug, awaiting a confirmation. 

 

“Fine.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yo sorry this took a hot minute  
> skksks if anyone is seeing this... I'm So sorry lol  
> idk if Ill ever finish it tbh I would honestly delete it bc I hate rereading this but.. theres so few panlix things I feel like I ought to just leave it??? oof... yeesh


End file.
